So, what do you eat there?

A favorite question of mine…

Well, this might not be what everyone in Cuenca eats, but this is what my family eats, and thus, what I eat! J

First and foremost: PAN. Oh, the bread here is amazing. We eat bread for breakfast and supper along with coffee. I’m a carbaholic anyway, so being able to enjoy delicious bread TWICE a day is basically like being in my version of heaven. My favorite “treat” is Pan de Coco, (coconut bread). It is beyond yummy. No, I do not eat this kind everyday. (I wish!) We go to a panadería, (bakery), every night to buy bread. Here is a picture from my favorite panadería:

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, (which I LOVE; it feels much healthier than going to bed with a big meal in your tummy). We always have some kind of juice, (my favorite being MORA- raspberry). I actually just helped make orange juice the other day! There is something so delightful about making the juice using REAL fruit versus buying it in a bottle from the store. We have soup everyday. It’s basically water with veggies in it; bland, but filling. Cilantro is often a main ingredient. (I apologize if you consider cilantro to offset the “bland” comment. ha.) Of course in the middle of the table you’ll find MOTE- huge kernels of corn. My family puts this in their soup and rice. It’s tasty and helps soak up some of the liquid in the soup. The main dish then is ALWAYS rice, accompanied by either meat, potatoes, beans, or a combination of all three. Lida, (my host mom), is a great cook, (like my real Madre!), so I am quite lucky! She is continuously telling me to eat more, therefore do not worry about me- I will definitely not go hungry living in her house.

Fresh fruit = amazing. The markets are full of incredible, delicious fruit. I posted a picture of this winner on Facebook the other day: CHIRIMOYA. It is mouth-watering goodness. You should probably fly here just to eat it. Seriously.

Ice cream?!?! Did someone say ice cream?!?! Yes. Ice cream is my favorite food in the world, and thus, a favorite of mine here as well. If ice cream had all the nutrition you needed and still tasted just as yummy, it is all I would eat. NOT kidding. We unfortunately do not have this in the house like I would back in Iowa, (probably better for the waistline anyway…). So, I go out on the town for HELADO, (that means ice cream to help my non-Spanish speaking friends). In this lovely city, a single-scoop of ice cream served on a sugar cone will cost you a whopping 95 cents. (It used to be 50 cents. Apparently inflation happens here, too. ha) Will I be spending all of my money on ice cream? Possibly… My favorite flavor yet again is MORA. (Do you remember what that means? J)

There are many more delicious things to eat, and I’m sure I’ll be filling this blog with more pictures and postings of them! ¡Buen provecho!